“We’re at the beach, in public.”
“I know.” He kisses along my jawline.
“There’s a question I’ve been dying to ask, but it’s really rude.”
“Try me?”
“How did you afford all this? The flight to Colorado, the flight here, the ocean front room?”
“I’ve got a decent savings account. The Navy Reserves pays a little, and I’ve been doing some work in Knoxville, bouncing at a bar a few nights a week.”
“You work in a bar?”
“Yeah, pays decent, and they work with my schedule.”
“I can’t believe I didn’t know. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It never came up.”
“Anything else I don’t know?”
“Nothing really. I think you know the most important things.”
A feeling of unease comes over me, and my eyes fill with tears. I try to will them back, but they escape and roll down my cheeks, dropping on his chest.
“Hey now, what’s going on?” He lifts my chin, giving me no choice but to meet his gaze.
“I just realized how much of your life I missed. I didn’t even know you had a part-time job. For a minute, my mind wondered back to when I knew everything: your classes, your schedule, everything.”
“Baby, quit it. Remember, we let it all go. You’ll know now and every day going forward.”
I nod to agree with him and lean forward to kiss him lightly.
“So let’s talk about tomorrow night. What are we doing?”
“It’s a surprise, and I think you’ll enjoy it.”
“I enjoy anything when I’m with you,” I say softly, laying my head back on his chest.
“I’m counting on it.”
Chapter 7
“I can’t believe you did this!!!” I squeal, taking in the beauty of the boat in front of me.
“Believe it. Besides the captain, it’s just us for the next two hours.” He takes my hand and leads me to the front of the boat where a candlelight picnic is set up.
He pours me a glass of wine and gets a beer for himself then sets out the food, making us plates. The boat gently moves out of the slip and into the intercoastal, leaving the lights of the marina and city behind us.
Even though I’ve tried not to think about it, sadness overcomes me. We’re leaving in the morning, and I don’t know when I’ll see Bryce again. With the exception of the few days I was in Miami without him, we’ve been together for almost fourteen days. It’s going to be hard to be so far away, especially now.
Last night boosted my confidence further that Bryce is sincere in his quest for a serious relationship. He didn’t let go of me all night and took every opportunity to kiss me lightly or whisper sweet things. Quinn rolled her eyes all night but smiled as she did so.
The only thing that is driving me crazy is his reluctance to go further than kissing me. I’m not saying we need to fuck like rabbits, but he stops me every time things get heated. He crawls into bed shirtless at night and pulls me to him, kissing me until my mind is mush. But when I run my fingertips down his defined abs, he stops me, repositioning us. Besides grabbing my ass, he hasn’t made one move to touch me intimately. My body is about to internally combust. I’ve never felt this much sexual tension before.
“What are you thinking about?” His smooth voice draws me out of my thoughts.
“Nothing,” I lie.